Mike Penning seeks assurance on PTSD support for emergency workers involved in the Grenfell Tower fire

5th September 2017

Following the Government statement on the latest progress following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower, Mike Penning seeks assurance that emergency service workers involved will receive suitable support for post-traumatic stress in the future.

I thank the Secretary of State for his statement, not least because it gives me my first opportunity to put on record that my thoughts and prayers are with the community and those who have lost their loved ones and those who have been injured in the Grenfell disaster. I also want to put on record my admiration for the emergency services. I am a former member of the fire service; we were never trained to do this sort of tower block fire, and some of the things they saw will be with them for the rest of their lives. I therefore ask the Secretary of State to assure me that all emergency services personnel will have the suitable support they will need as they go forward, because post-traumatic stress will be with many of them for the rest of their lives.

My right hon. Friend, of course: I can assure him that such support is being provided to all emergency workers, and I join him in commending once again the work of the fire service workers in particular. We will continue to make sure they get all the support required, including, of course, counselling. This point allows me to highlight the work being done by voluntary sectors, including in Cornwall recently. The Cornwall Hugs Grenfell response led by Esme Page shows what communities can do, because through that response, as well as helping the victims of Grenfell, they reached out to fire service workers in London.

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